Rinzai's True Person

Banshō's commentary on the case

Rinzai's extensive discourse says: Within the body-field of the five aggregates is a true person of no rank, grandly revealed, without so much as a hair's breadth of separation. Why do you not recognize this? Mind-dharma has no form and penetrates the ten directions. Since he says it penetrates the ten directions, it is not confined to coming and going through the face-gates within the body-field of the five aggregates.¹ “Those at the beginning who have not yet verified this: look, look!” Banshō says: the true person of no rank looks at the assembled monks; the assembled monks look at the true person. At that time a monk asked, “What is the true person of no rank?” Communities everywhere call this joining the voice and carrying the matter along. Yet the one riding the donkey does not see what is beneath the seat. Rinzai descended from the Zen platform and seized him. Tell me: on which side is the true person? He should be given a slap. The monk deliberated. The true person was not there. What a pity. Rinzai shoved him away and said, “The true person of no rank—what kind of dry shit-stick is this?” He tabooed the name directly to the monk's face. Seppō said, “Rinzai greatly resembles a daylight thief.” Banshō says: Defeated! Setchō said, “When a person is skilled at stealing, ghosts and spirits do not know. Since Seppō saw him through, Rinzai was not a good hand.” Then Setchō called, “Assembly! Today I have exchanged the eyeballs of every one of you. If you do not believe it, each return to your quarters and feel around for them.” Banshō says: Setchō lost even his eyebrows. If you want to know how to act as a thief in a thief's hands, you must ask Tendō. The Sutra of Perfect Enlightenment says, “It is like a confused person who exchanges the four directions. In reality the directions themselves have never moved.” At awakening too, they remain just as before.⁴ The Source-Mirror says, “From the beginning, delusion and awakening resemble delusion. Today, awakening to delusion is not awakening.” This is truly wondrous transmission and simple, benefiting without expenditure. If you recognize it, the red flesh-lump itself is the true person of no rank. If you do not recognize it, the true person still comes and goes through your face-gates. The monk also has it; he simply cannot hold it out or put it into operation. Instead he becomes the true person's slave, transmitting words, carrying messages, and asking after news. He troubles Rinzai to lower the honored and approach the lowly, directly embodying complete function.² The monk could not get his hands to it, while Rinzai withdrew without looking back. Seeing that a spoon could not scoop it up, he said, “The true person of no rank—what kind of dry shit-stick is this?” This is being able to release and retrieve: a call gathers it; a shout disperses it. In the end Rinzai does not bind it fast, die beneath a phrase, and make an illness in another person's breast. Tiantai said, “Blow once and the world forms; shout once and the world is destroyed.” He further said, “At the time of blowing, shout; at the time of shouting, blow.” The Liezi tells of Gongyi Zi, renowned for strength. King Xuan of Zhou invited him with full ceremony. When he arrived, he appeared weak. The king asked, “What is your strength like?” Gongyi said, “I can break the leg of a spring insect and bear the wing of an autumn cicada.” The king changed expression: “My strength can tear the hides of rhinoceros and wild ox and drag the tails of nine oxen, yet I regret that it is weak. How are you renowned for strength when you are like this?” Gongyi replied, “My reputation does not come from bearing the burden of my strength, but from being able to use it.”³ This versifies Rinzai's force in gathering and releasing. Hōgen was digging a well when sand blocked the spring-eye. He asked a monk, “The spring-eye does not flow because sand blocks it. When the eye of the Way does not flow, what thing obstructs it?” The monk had no reply. Hōgen answered in his place, “It is obstructed by the eye.”⁵ Tell me: did this monk block the spring-eye, or did Rinzai block it? What happens when it suddenly bursts out? Banshō picked up his staff and descended from the seat. The assembly scattered all at once.